Ansonia hosts annual Fat Tuesday paczki-eating contest
Fat Tuesday #FatTuesday
Ansonia will hold its annual Fat Tuesday paczki-eating contest on Tuesday, March 1.
Vic Eng / Hearst Connecticut Media Group
Ahead of the Christian season of Lent, the city of Ansonia held its annual paczki-eating contest Tuesday.
The event took place at the Ansonia Armory on 5 State Street. Ansonia Mayor David Cassetti crowned the winner and Miss Ansonia Petite, Martina Beattie was a special guest.
Seventeen contestants ate as many paczkis as they could in five minutes to be declared champion. Two-time champion Manny Cambra was declared the winner, making this his third win.
A paczki (pronounced ponch-key) is a Polish treat similar to a donut filled with some kind of sweet filling like jelly or Bavarian cream. The dough also contains a splash of vodka. These sweet treats are usually eaten on Fat Tuesday, a final day to indulge in treats before the beginning of Lent in Christian religions.
The first, second and third-place contest winners received gift cards to local Ansonia restaurants.
Jailene Cuevas is a statewide Trending Reporter for Hearst Connecticut Media Group. She is passionate about all things entertainment and pop culture. She graduated from SCSU with a B.S. in Journalism. Prior to Hearst, she worked at a local news station in Connecticut.